July 2024. Swaffham Bulbeck.
A week in Waterbeach, but on the Wednesday we again gave the parents thatched cottage a swerve in favour of superior WiFi down the road.
The Black Horse is Swaffham Bulbeck’s sole pub for 826 (mostly elderly) souls on the edge of racehorsey land, and the closest boozer to the National Trust’s Anglesey Abbey (cream teas, bottled beers).
The Lodge type accommodation isn’t bargain, but it’s the best of a poor choice in July, and I remember the Black Horse as the archetypal village green pub that we drove to in the Long Hot Summer of 1983.
I didn’t keep my beer scores in 1983, as I was virtually teetotal till Mrs RM corrupted me a decade later, but this Wells house is virtually unchanged.
Darts, pool, a menu featuring “pub classics” and a choice between Adnams and Tim Taylor.
We go Ghost Ship while we wait to be checked in, a sudsy sorta pint that I reckon surprisingly good on a day when the heat will test the cask.
I doubt there’s much lunchtime cask trade, but the next two Old Boys go “Ah, Tim Taylor, don’t like those citrusy beers” and I wish I’d taken the Landlord test.
The room is plain but exactly what we need, and has a 2CV with Brian the Snail outside, a car I don’t remember us selling in my first job in 1983 at a Citroen franchise.
I made Mrs RM do the tourist trail round Commercial End, a half mile of beams and flowers,
and thatch,
and Flemish style.
At the obligatory disused phone box they’ve gone library rather than defibrillator,
Large books ?
That would be A Suitable Boy then.
Not opened yet. Nor the Bulbeck Beacon.
You thought I made these local names up, didn’t you ?
retiredmartin 
One night in Swaffham Bulbeck could be your last.
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I love the out of date book comment. I’ve heard that in other places. Quite a funny idea.
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Folk are always reluctant to just dump books, however worthless. So they gift them to charity shops.
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Yes, I do that. I just can’t throw a book in with the rubbish.
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My school and uni text books would be well out-of-date. No one would read them, except to verify that fact
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Didn’t someone once recite some words about it?
“A squid, eating dough in a polyethylene bag is Swaffham Bulbeck” or some such?
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Will check my Dylan collection (or is it Beefheart ?).
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It’s Beefheart from Trout Mask Replica.
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EVERYTHING is from Beefheart’s Trout Mask Replica.
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SH is right, but also tapered…
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Ghost Ship is about the only Adnams I see nowadays but that curved pumpclip is new to new. I’m hoping for some Southwold Bitter in September.
Flemish bond, not just “Flemish style”.
“Large books ?” – like the GBG if the brewery section hasn’t been extracted.
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I’ll definitely catch up with you in Cambridge. The Castle near the City Hall is the Adnams pub.
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Catching up with you in Cambridge would be great.
I should be there from lunchtime on Thursday and, on returning from my first ever visit to the Queens Head, from mid afternoon on Friday.
I’m only just starting on an itinerary but hope to include the Castle (Adnams), Champion of the Thames (Heritage) and Free Press.
First I’ve got to save up for the train fare through Stamford !
I should be in Norwich on Saturday lunchtime and Sheringham Saturday night, maybe Ely briefly on Sunday.
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It’s not possible to “catch up” with Martin if you ask me, Paul.
You might manage to be in the same place at the same time, but that’s maybe not quite the same thing?
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The Castle was always a good pub. A bit foody last time I was there, but that’s probably 20 years ago?
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Broadside in the West End House in Ely
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